Good is good even if nobody does it; bad is bad even if everybody does it!

In today’s global world, it would be pointless to restrict the mobility of labour. Mauritians have the choice to work anywhere in the world. Similarly, Mauritius can always have recourse to international expertise if required. Some argue that mobility of labour would lead to a brain drain in the country. I am not so sure – I think many Mauritians still think that there is no better place than home…

“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country” – Is this too much to expect from the so-called Mauritian elite? I was quite surprised to read about the reactions of the parents of some HSC laureates in the press last week. They were reacting following the State’s decision to sue those laureates who have not respected the term of the agreement – that of either serving the country for at least 5 years after graduation or paying back Rs 500,000 in exchange for the scholarship.

One parent argued that the salary levels have to be such that the laureates would want to come back. Another parent said that he failed to understand what exactly the laureate received from the State. One parent even argued that it was only a partial scholarship. However, they all seem to be missing out the main point – those scholarships, full or partial, were financed from the State’s funds and the recipients have a choice – if they choose not to come back, they can pay the Rs 500,000 as per the bond… Is it ethical of those students to avail of those scholarships and not abide by the rules? Sadly, I doubt whether one can even speak of ethics in today’s Mauritius…